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Tracy Morgan on 'Saturday Night Live' Comeback: 'It Was Magical'

By Antoinette Bueno 9:57 AM PDT, October 19, 2015

Tracy Morgan couldn't have asked for a more perfect Saturday Night Live gig.

The 46-year-old comedian was hilarious while hosting the NBC show this past Saturday, his first time since a devastating car crash last June left him in critical condition and with a traumatic brain injury. ET caught up with Morgan at the ceremony awarding the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to Eddie Murphy in New York City on Sunday, when he had no problem opening up about his emotional comeback.

"It was magical. It was electric, the love and support," Morgan said about his well-received SNL showing. "It was great being back home hanging with the cast and crew. It was great. I'm gummy, goddammit."

Morgan's 30 Rock family also showed up to support him on Saturday, including Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski, and Jack McBrayer.

"It was great being back home," the comedian said about returning to SNL, where he was a cast member for seven years. "Just hanging out with the cast, the crew. They were so supportive. It felt good, just to be funny."

Current SNL cast members were clearly humbled to share the spotlight with him.

"It was cool having Tracy Morgan back in the building," Jay Pharoah told ET. "It was heartfelt. He got a standing ovation."

On Saturday, Morgan didn't shy away from talking about the tragic accident. Instead, he directly addressed it during his opening monologue.

"It was awful, but it also showed me how much love and support I have in this world," Morgan said. "People were wondering: Can he speak? Does he have 100 percent mental capacity? But the truth is, I never did. I might actually be a few points higher now."

When Morgan made a surprise appearance at the 2015 Emmy Awards in September, he thanked his many celebrity pals for their continued support.

"When you have traumatic brain damage -- as you can see the scars on my head -- at that moment it first happened, when I didn't see any hope and I couldn't walk, before they taught me how to stand up and sit down again, you don't feel [like you'll recover]," he told reporters candidly backstage. "But as the months and the months and the months went by, part of my therapy was seeing TV and seeing my friends and saying that I'm coming back one day. My wife made sure of that."